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l T; G. STEVENS. APPARATUS'FOR GONTROLEING' SHIPS RUDD'EBLS.

Patented Apr. 1o, 1888."

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T.,G. STEVENS.'

APPARATUSFOB, GONTROLLING' SHIPS" RUDDERS;

Patgntedpffl),1888;-

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. UNITED STATES-f'PATENTOFFICIEL THOMAS GEORGE STEVENS, OE EEorOEY'oorrAeE, SWAN'SOOMBE, coureur OF KENT, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR cONTR/OLLING siHlPsy RUDDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 381.035, dared Aprn 1o, Isae. f M Application tiled November l5, 1887. Serial No. 255,221. `(No model.) Patented in England January 6,1887, No. 16,9. I

To aZZ'whom it may concern.:

Be it known that LTHOMAS GEORGE STE- vENs, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Rectory Cottage, Swanscolnbe, in the county of Kent,v England, engineer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for'Controlling Ships Rudders, (for which I have received Letters Patentin Great Britain, No. 169, dated January 6,1887,)

of which the following is a specification.'

My invention relates to means lfor restrain ing ships rudders toany desired extent from turning away froni any position into which they mayhave been turned. To effect this, I employ a friction-band' embracing a disk or wheel on the r'uddenhead or on a disk or Wheel geared therewith and capable of being tghtenednp around the disk or wheel by the` turning of aspindl'e having a screw thread or threads cut upon it andthe band being restrained from turning with the disk or Wheel.

Friction-bauds around a disk or wheel on the axis of a steeringwheel have before been used for locking the rudder, and -such bands have been tightened up by the steersman put# ting his foot onto a treadle-lever; but by using a screw for tightening up the band any desired amountof friction maybe applied to restrain the rudder from being turned, and this'amount of friction may be maintained constantly, so that in rough weather a constant amount yofV right and a left handedscrew-thread cut upon-f it and screwing into screw-nuts pi'vted to the I ends of the baud. To allow of the parts of the apparatus being readily taken apart or put to'- gether, `I make onescrew-thread on the spindle of larger diameter than the other screw-thread.

Y To prevent the whole strain requisitefor prekventing-the band from turning Ywith the disk or wheel fromcoming upon the screw-spindle,

I form` the bandwit-h a. projection upon it to enter a. corresponding recess in a iixed block,

enter a recess in theband.

or a projection in the block might be madeto` K If the band be applied Varound a diskor wheel on the axis of the steering-wheel, I place. this disk or Wheel `ingclose proximityto thfe steering'wheel and provide al hand-wheel on jk each of its ends to allow of its being turned by, "y the steersman from whichever side of thesteering-wheel he 'may happen tobe standing., Y My invention is lillustrated inthe drawings hereunto annexed.

Fig'urcl'is an exterior plan view, and Fig. 2 ,l

ahorizontal cross-section, of the friction mechanism adapted for applying friction to a disk on the rudder-head orto a disk made to .turn with the rudder-head. Fig. 3 is asection taken on the une r1, Eig. I1. Eig. 1X isan anteriorv plan view, and'Fig 2X a vertical cross-section, A

of apparatus similar to that showninFigs. v1 and 2, except inthe means used for coupling the nuts to the ends of the friction-band. n Fig.r y

4 is a perspective -view of the friction vmechanism applied to a disk or wheel onrthe ru'dderhead. Fig. V5 isa perspective view of thelfrictionmechanism applied to a disk or'wheel sov coupled to therudder-head that it turns with f' it.v Fig. 6 is a perspective view of ythefrictionmechanism applied to adisk or Wheel onthe axis of the"steering'wheel. w 1

In Figs. '1, 2, and 3, and lx, 2X, Ais the disk or wheel, and B themetallic band by'which it` is embraced. Preferably I line the band B with wood.

C Care screw-nuts. `Each nut has pivotsCy projecting from or inserted into its'two oppsite sides. Each end of the band B has secured to it a metallic block, B', formedfwith outt Yvvardly-projecting flanges which carry the pivots c for the nuts to" turn upon, as in Figs. 1X,

2", or are vformedwith recesses for theipivots D is a spindle with two screw-threadscut yupon it of different diameters and one righthanded and the other left-handed. One ofthe screw-threads screws into one nut G and the other into :the other'nut. The spindle israrriedV in bearings formed in a metallic block or f n f l' frame, E. f

Fis a radial projectionfrom the band B,

entering a corresponding recess in ablock fixed securely to the ships deck. One or both ends of the spindle may be made to project beyond the block or frame E, and any suitable attachment may be secured to thc projecting end or ends to allow of the spindle being readily turned. When the friction apparatus is ap plied to a disk or wheel on the rudder-head, or onv a disk geared to the rudder-head, the` spindle D can be prolonged to any part of the vessel at which the steering wheel or mechanism may be situated, so that the steersman may, whenever he desires, give a partial turn to the spindle, and thereby more or less restrain the rudder or set it free.

In the apparatus shown at Figs. 4 and 5, where the friction-band is applied around a disk or wheel on the rudder-head or around a disk geared to it, the block or frame E ofthe apparatus is so shaped as to allow of its being bolted down to the deck of the vessel.

In the apparatus shown at Fig. 6 it is so formed as to admit of its being bolted onto the top of a standard erected in close proximity to the steering wheel, the standard being forked at its upper end and the frame E bolted to the top of the two limbs of the fork. In this figure the spindle D has a hand-wheel affixed to each of its ends, so that it may be turned by hand by the steersman on whichever side ofthe steering-wheel he may happen t0 be Standing.

Although in theedrawiugs hereunto annexed I have shown only a spindle witha right and left handed screw-thread cut upon it for tightening the frictionband around the disk o1' Wheel, other screw mechanism might be used for the purposeas, for example, one end of the band might be xed and the other end coupled to a nut into which a screw-spindleis screwed, or one end of the band might bexed and the other coupled to a lever acted upon by a screw.

By using afriction-band tightened by a screw in the manner hereinbefore described the following advantages are attained:

First. Any desired amount of friction can be applied by the steersman to the turning of the rudder, andthe rudder can be controlled at any time should the steering-chains or any part of the steering-gear break down, and

shifting ofthe steam-gear to the hand-gear ycan be done with safety. Y

Second. The rudder can be kept perfectly under control by one man in a heavy sea.

Third. Wheel-lashings are dispensed with.

Fourth. The steering is made easier and not hazardous to life or limb, as it is 'impossible for the wheel to overcome the steersman.

Fifth. The apparatus is quick in its action, is durable, and is not complicated or cumbersome.

Having now particularly described and asccrtained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim isl. The combination of a disk or wheel on the rudder-head or geared thereto, so as to turn with it, a friction-band embracingvsuch disk or wheel, and screw-nuts pivoted to or bearing against projections on the ends of the band and screwing one onto a right handed and the other onto a left-handed screw-thread cut on a spindle carried in fixed bearings.

2. The combination of a disk or wheel on the rudder-head or geared thereto, so as to turn with it, a friction-band embracing such f disk or wheel, screw-nuts pivoted to or bearing against proj cctions on the ends of the band, and a spindle carried in fixed bearings and having right and left handed screw-threads cut upon it, one screw-thread of larger diameter than the other and the screwthreads screwing into corresponding screw-nuts, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a disk or wheel on the rudder-head or geared thereto, so as to turn with it, a friction-band embracing such disk or wheel, screw-nuts pivoted to or bearing againstprojections on the ends of the band, a spindle with right and leftvhanded screwthreads cut upon it screwing into such nuts, and a projectionon the band entering a recess in a fixed block, or a projection on the block entering a recess in the band to prevent the band from turning, substantially as described.

THOMAS GEORGE STEVENS. WVitnesses:

JNO. H. WHITEHEAD, 24Southampton Buildings, London, W. U.

WALTER J. SKERTEN, 17 Gracechurch Street, London. E. C. 

